Drink mixing and sipping device



Dec. 10, 1957 w. M. NONNAMAKER ETAL DRINK MIXING AND SIPPING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1954 1 ll ll II II II II ll II II ll {I II II llll II II II II I! ll 0| (ll. II] I] II I. II. II III Iil I'll III! III II III III III I: I. all] II [I INVENTORS WILL/AM M. NONNAMAKER '8 DAVID R. SIMMONS ATmkA/EY United States Patent DRINK MlXlNG AND SIPPING DEVICE William M. Nonnamaker, Cuyahoga Falls, and David. R. Simmons, Toledo, Ohio Application May 13, 1954, Serial No. 429,448

4 Claims. (Cl. 29917) This invention relates to a drink sipping device of the type used for sipping iced tea or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a drink sipping device of simple economical construction which also may be used for mixing drinks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined drink sipping and drink mixing device having springpressed means for facilitating use of the same as a drink mixer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described including improved valve means manually operable for use of the device as a drink mixer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described in the last paragraph wherein the valve means also serves as a sanitary mouthpiece for use of the device for drinking purposes.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drink mixer and'sipper embodying the features of the invention, the manner of holding the device in a drink-containing glass being indicated in chain-dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the mixing and sipping device shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sections, corresponding to Figure 2, illustrating three modified forms of the invention.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-section taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates an elongated cylindrical or tubular member having a centrally apertured wall 11 spaced substantially inwardly of the upper end of the member. Slidably received through said apertured wall may be a cylindrical or tubular element 12 of smaller diameter than member 10, the inner end of the element terminating in an integral annular flange portion 13 which serves as a plunger in liquid-sealing relation to the inner wall surface of member 10, said annular flange being below or inwardly of said wall 11. Suitably attached to element 12 may be a guide collar 14 which is longitudinally slidably received within the member 111. For yieldingly urging the element to the outwardly extended stop position shown in Figure 2, in which the plunger is in limiting engagement with wall 11, a compression spring 15 may be mounted between said collar 14 and wall 11. The tubular parts 10 and 12 may be of any suitable material, such as transparent, transluscent or opaque synthetic resin.

Removably attached to the upper end of tubular element 12 may be a short length of resilient rubber or plastic tubing serving as a mouthpiece 16, which also may be yieldingly pinched between two fingers (see chain-dotted lines in Figure 1) to serve as valve means for Patented Dec. 10, -7

closing the upper end of the-element when using the device as a drink mixer in a manner to be described later.

The lower end of the tubular member 10 is shown notched at 1'7, 17 to prevent sealingengagement of the lower end of the member against the bottom of the glass G, which would otherwise prevent proper movement of liquid for either of the intended purposes of the device.

In use, the device described in connection with Figures 1 and 2 is placed in a glass of iced tea, or any other kind of mixed drink, with the lower end of tubular member 10 resting on the bottom of the glass as shown. To

make sure that sugar is mixed in iced tea, for example, the flexible mouthpiece 16 is squeezed between the fingers to close the upper end of element 12 and the element 12 is then reciprocated with respect to the member 10 against the resiliency of spring 15. The resultant reciprocation of plunger 13 is efiectiverapidly to move the liquid .into and out of the tubular member, thereby thoroughly to mix and dissolve the sugar in the tea. When the drink is thus prepared it may be drawn through the member 111 and element 12 by sipping on mouthpiece 16 while held in the mouth.

The device described similarly may be utilized with the mouthpiece 16 removed, in which case during the mixing operation the liquid is prevented from being forced upwardly through the device by pressure of a finger firmly held over the outer end of element 12. For the aforementioned sipping purposes the outer end of element 12 becomes the mouthpiece.

Figure 3 shows a very simple form of the invention, wherein a tube 20, of synthetic resin plastic or other suitable material, is telescopically slidably received within a larger tube 21, of similar material, at least the lower end portion of tube 21 being substantially in liquid sealing sliding engagement with the inner wall surface of the tube 21. The lower end of tube 21 is notched at 23 and the upper end of tube 20 may have attached thereto an elastic tubular mouthpiece 24, for purposes previously described.

This form of the invention is used in the manner previously described, except that for drink mixing purposes it is necessary to hold the tube 21 with one hand while reciprocating the tube 20 with the other hand.

The mixing and sipping device shown'in Figure 4 is substantially like that shown in Figure 3, except that a small tube 26a is slidably received through an apertured guide wall 25 on the upper end of a larger tube 21a, and the lower end of tube 20a is provided with an integral outturned flange 26 serving as a liquid moving plunger, like parts, therefore, being indicated by like numerals unless otherwise noted. This device is operated in exactly the same manner as the device in Figure 3.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, a thin tube 27 is longitudinally reciprocably received through liquid sealing grommets 28, 28 of resilient material, mounted in apertured longitudinally spaced walls 29 and 30 which are aifixed within a relatively large tube 31, the outermost said wall 29 being located at the outer end of the tube and the inner wall 30 being midway 'between opposite ends of the tube, substantially as shown. Afiixed on the smaller .tube

. 27, inwardly of inner wall 30 of the larger tube, is a liquid 35 defining spaced shoulders 36 and 37. The outer end of tube 27 is shown seated in a valve recess 38 extending outwardly from hollow portion 35, to seal said end of the tube from small passageways 39, 39 which extend from the outer periphery of the valve recess 38 to the outer end of the mouthpiece.

Thus, when the mouthpiece is held in the seating relation shown the tube 27 may be reciprocated in tube 31, thereby to cause the plunger 27a to mix liquid in a glass, as before. This device is used for sipping a drink by holding the mouthpiece 34 extended with respect to the outer end of tube 27, thereby to expose or open the outer end of tube 27 to the passageways 39 leading from seating recess 38 of the mouthpiece. -The device is otherwise used and operated substantially in the manner best described in connection with Figures 1 and 2.

Other modifications .of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for mixing and sipping drinks in a container comprising an elongated member having .an opening longitudinally through the same, said member being of length proportioned to extend above liquid in the container when the inner end of the member is engaged with the bottom of the container and to be manually gripped between the fingers at a point above the liquid level, an element telescopically received within said member to have at least a portion thereof in liquid sealing but freely slidable relation to the member when the element is longitudinally reciprocated within said member, said element being substantially longer than said member whereby a portion of the element will extend outwardly of the member in all positions of reciprocation of said element, said element having a passage therethrough for sipping liquid from a container thereof, said element being manually reciprocable in said member while the inner end of the member is manually held in the liquid against the bottom of the container and while the outer end of said passage is held closed and thereby to impart a pumping movement to the liquid, the inner end of said member being irregular to permit passage of liquid between the same and said surface of a container against which said inner end is held, said element having valve means at the outer end thereof manually operable to close said passage during pumping reciprocation of the element.

2. A device for mixing and sipping drinks in a container comprising an elongated member having an opening longitudinally through the same, said member being of length proportioned to extend above liquid in the container when the inner end of the member is engaged with the bottom of the container and to be manual-1y gripped between the fingers at a point above the liquid level, an element telescopically received within said member to have at least a portion thereof in liquid sealing but freely slidable relationto the member when the element is longitudinally reciprocated within said member, said element being substantially longer than said member whereby a portion of the element will extend outwardly of the member in all positions of reciprocation of said element, said element having a passage therethrough for sipping liquid from a container thereof, said element being manually reciprocable in said member While the inner end of the member is manually held in the liquid against the bottom of the container and while the outer end of said passage is held closed and thereby to impart a pumping movement to the liquid, the inner end of said members being irregular to permit passage of liquid between the same and said surface of a container against which said inner end is held, said element having valve means at the outer end thereof manually operable to close said passage during pumping reciprocation of the element, said valve means including a tubular mouthpiece extension of flexible elastic material on the outer end of the element and adapted to have opposite Wall portions compressed together between the fingers to fluid sealing relation.

3. A device for mixing and sipping drinks in a container comprising an elongated member having an opening longitudinally through the same, said member being of length proportioned to extend above liquid in the container when the inner end of the member is engaged with the bottom of the container :and to be manually gripped between the fingers at a point above the liquid level, an element telescopically received within said member to have at least a portion thereof in liquid sealing but freely slid-able relation to the member when the element is longitudinally reciprocated within said member, said element being of such length whereby a portion of the same will extend outwardly of the member in all positions. of reciprocation of said element, said element having a passage therethrough for sipping liquid from a container thereof, said element being manually reciprocable in said member while the inner end of the member is held in the liquid against the bottom of the container and while the outer end of said passage is held closed and thereby to impart a pumping movement to the liquid, spring means being provided between said member and element tending to urge the element outwardly of the member.

4. A device for mixing and sipping drinks in a con- -'tainer, comprising an elongated member having an opening longitudinally through the same, an element telescopically received within said member and having an annular outturned portion at the inner end thereof in liquid sealing but freely slidable relation to the member when the element is longitudinally reciprocated within said member, said element being of such length whereby a portion of the same will extend outwardly of the member in all positions of reciprocation of said element, said element 'having a passage therethrough for sipping liquid from a container thereof, said element being manually reciprocable in said member while the inner end of the member is held in the liquid against the bottom of the container and whilethe outer end of said passage is held closed and thereby to impart a pumping movement to the liquid, said element and said member having longitudinally spaced :seat portions within said member, a com-- pression spring being received within said member to extend between said spaced seat portions and thereby tending to urge the element in one direction of recip-l rocatory movement thereof relatively of the member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,036 Hamilton Feb. 27, 1940 2,192,037 Hamilton Feb. 27, 1940 2,248,231 Hamilton July 8, 1941 2,288,848 Shoessler July 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,002,595 France Nov. 7, 1951 

